Sunflower

Every flower hides its symbolic meaning

and significance, and it can be widely
known like the one of a Rose, or more
secretive like the symbolic meaning of a
simple field flower. The Sunflower has
several meanings that are all linked to the
positivity and optimistic nature of a
Sunflower.

These meanings are:

Long life

 The Sunflower is a symbol of long life because there are several varieties of this flower that can
endure some of the warmest days of summer by standing tall. This flower can also be
considered as a symbol of endurance and strength to persevere through hardest moments.

Loyalty

 The Sunflower is also a symbol of loyalty towards your friends, family or partner, by giving this
flower to someone; you are saying that you are a loyal person and that they can ask for your
help any time.

Optimism

 Bright and shiny Sunflower is also a symbol of optimism and positivity. This flower reminds us to
always look on the brighter side of life (literarily) and that there is always hope even in the
darkest moments.

Good luck

 Sunflowers are symbols of good luck especially in Chinese culture. They are also symbols of long-
lasting happiness and joy, which is why people love gifting and receiving them. Some people
even bring Sunflowers into their homes to attract this positive energy and to make their days
more positive and brighter.

Sunflower Flower – Etymological meaning

The name Sunflower came from the fact that this beautiful flower always turns its head or the
flower head in the direction of the sun. Sunflowers love receiving sunlight and enjoying the
warm sun rays on their petals, and this is something that ancient cultures noticed a long time ago.
Scientific name for this flower is Helianthus, because it is a combination of the words sun and
the flower.

Sunflower Flower – Symbolism

Sunflower has been considered a symbol of joy and life, but also a symbol of loyalty and
longevity. This flower radiates passion and positive energy, and turns its flowers and petals to
the sun every day.

The name of sunflower, originated from the Greek words Helios – Sun and anthos – flower. The
sunflower is a plant with a huge flower by which it was named, because its shape and image is
often used to describe the Sun.

Various cultures considered sunflower as the symbol of the god of the Sun. In the early morning
sunflower turns its flowers toward the sun in the east, monitors its path during the day to the
west, so that when the Sun goes down its blossoming head is as if sleeping. According to this
characteristic, the sunflower was named.

Since the sunflower follows the sun, the sunflower denotes worship and enthusiasm. His constant
changing of the position gives him in some cultures and the meaning of unreliability and false
wealth.

The sunflower originates from the southwest of North America, from Peru and Mexico. Nearly a
thousand years before the new era, American Indians cultivated it and used it in the diet. They
grind his seeds into flour, added them to bread and made oil. For them, the sunflower was a
symbol of holiness and fertility, and its color is a symbol of vitality and energy. At their summer
solstice sunflower was used as a symbol of reward, harvest and stock.

The ancient Greeks devoted the sunflower to the god of the Sun, Helios. In Greek mythology, the
sunflower is a symbol of the sea nymph Klitia, which turns into a sunflower after mourning for
the loss of its love, the god of the Sun of Apollo. When the sea nymph escaped into the desert,
where she was without food and water, because God Apollo began to started a relationship with
her sister, she watched the sun all day, and after death she became a sunflower. Symbolic are that
the Nymph Klitti was always turned to the Sun and in the expectation that Apollo’s carriages
would return. The sunflower is also in Greek mythology, the symbol of the nymph, Daphne.

Aztecs crowned their priests of the sun god with sunflower flowers. And the Mayans highly
respected this flower and for them it was a flower of fertility and light. In the diet they used
seeds, stems and leaves of sunflower, and prepared tea from his petals.

Sunflower represents the plant of immortality for the Chinese and symbolizes long life and
happiness, and its yellow color signifies vitality and intelligence. Sunflower was an inspiration to
painters. Sunflower honeycombs found in a well-known series of pictures – Sunflowers Vincent
van Gogh. The famous sunflower painters were Pit Mondrian, Anton van Dayk, Anri Matis, Pol
Gogen, Gustav Klimt.
Sunflower Flower – Color meaning

Color of a flower can sometimes have such a strong symbolical influence, but some flowers are
richer in colors than others. Having less colors doesn’t mean that a certain flower is any less
important in a symbolical sense, which is clearly shown in the example of a Sunflower.
Sunflower comes only in one color, but this color is enough to express the strong symbolical
meaning of this beautiful flower.

The yellow color of a Sunflower is a symbol of joy, optimism and positive energy. You get a
stream of positive energy by only looking at this beautiful flower, and our days are already much
happier by having to see these flowers in our close distance. They are also linked to innocence
because of the, sometimes, cream colored petals on the sunflowers. Red and orange sorts of
Sunflowers are symbols of passion and strength, while the brown and the burgundy shades of
Sunflowers are symbols of loyalty and support for someone you love.